The City of Cullman has signed off on dates for this year’s Strawberry Festival, assuring the resurgent celebration a slot on the busy calendar of downtown spring activities.

At its regular meeting this week, the council approved a request from the city Parks and Recreation Department for a special event permit to hold the festival on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6.

The permit secures the use of the city’s “special events area” at the Cullman Festhalle, as well as the surrounding area adjacent to the north end of the city’s Warehouse District along First Avenue.

The permit allows the festival to run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.

Last year’s event enjoyed heavy attendance, with more than 3,000 gallon buckets of the festival’s namesake fruit sold through the weekend. Officials estimated last year’s attendance to be between 8,000 and 10,000 people. The number of vendor booths also doubled over vendors from the previous year.

In other business at its regular meeting, the council:

Approved a request from Fire Chief Edward Reinhardt to purchase turnout gear from Sunbelt Fire in the budgeted amount of $22,256.

Approved a request from Sewer Superintendent Chris Freeman to purchase three equipment trailers from Econoline Trailers, Inc. in the budgeted amount of $40,215.

Approved a request from Waid Harbison of Cullman City Parks and Recreation for a special event permit to hold the “Art in the Park” event at Old City Park on Main Avenue. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 15th.

Approved a request from Rachel Bryant of Karma in Cullman for a special event permit to hold a Suicide Awareness Walk at Depot Park. The walk will take place from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. Sept. 9th.

Passed a resolution approving application for grant funds from the TVA Invest Prep program to construct an entrance sign, with landscaping, at the new 80-acre industrial tract on Alabama Highway 69.

Passed a resolution to extend currently-standing hot mix, cold mix, and lay hot mix bids until May 23rd of next year.

Passed a resolution awarding a bid for a 2015 4-wheel drive Chevrolet Suburban to the lowest responsible bidder, Mitch Smith Chevrolet, Inc., in the budgeted amount of $47,000.

Passed a resolution awarding a bid for various types of rock to the lowest responsible bidder, Madison Materials, Inc. for a one-year period.

Passed a resolution awarding a bid for various types of concrete to the lowest responsible bidder, Kirkpatrick Concrete, Inc. for a one-year period.

Tabled a proposed resolution to enter into a contract, using appropriated funds, with the nonprofit Camp Meadowbrook organization, “for educational purposes and to promote tourism” in Cullman.